By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC on Friday set the final wholesale access rates to the bundled fibre networks of the incumbent telcos, keeping them “similar” to the existing rates set in 2024 because of their success in inducing new offerings in the market.
“The final rates set in this order are similar to those interim rates, which dozens of competitors have successfully been using to bring new offers to market and attract tens of thousands of new customers,” the CRTC said Friday.
Indeed, the final rates are mostly only slightly changed. For access to Bell’s FTTP facilities, between 3 Mbps and 1.5…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC ruled Thursday that Rogers does not need to continue putting money into the Shaw Rocket Fund past August 2025, rejecting the fund’s request to extend that date by at least a year.
The Certified Independent Product Fund (CIPF), which bankrolls children’s programming, had asked the CRTC last summer to stop Rogers from pulling the plug on the funding, which was a condition of its acquisition of Shaw. The fund argued that the CRTC’s 2023 renewal of Rogers’s licence to August 31, 2026 is just an extension of the current licence term, which means…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Cabinet has declined to overturn petitions challenging the CRTC’s decision to allow the three largest telecommunications companies access to the wholesale internet framework, arguing the regulator has instituted investment protections and has an opportunity to solidify the balance between that and competition by setting final access rates.
“The Governor in Council considers that bringing down costs for Canadians is a key priority and that restricting larger telecommunications service providers from accessing mandated wholesale high-speed access services, as requested in the petitions, would reduce the level of competition and consumer options in the retail high-speed Internet services market,” said…
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Rogers lower capital spending for “foreseeable future”
By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers expects its sports and media business to exceed $25 billion following the purchase of the remaining 25 per cent stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), which it targets for closing later this year.
The call and put options for the purchase and sale, respectively, are coming due in July for Rogers to nab Kilmer Sports’s equity in the empire that owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto Argonauts, and Toronto Football Club. (Rogers became a 75-per-cent owner when it purchased Bell’s 37.5 per cent stake in the…
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Rogers on Tuesday announced new 5G+ plans bringing customers more benefits and premium features, including a 5G+ Ultimate plan that offers priority network access and a five-year price guarantee.
Currently priced at $95 per month, the 5G+ Ultimate plan includes unlimited high-speed data, up to 2 Gbps speeds, roaming in up to 64 global destinations, unlimited calling to 27 countries, free access to Rogers Satellite for 24 months, and priority network access that gives subscribers front-of-the-line access to the fastest speeds available, even during peak times, Rogers said. When bundled with Rogers Xfinity internet…
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Rogers announced last week the expansion of its Rogers Xfinity Multiview feature, allowing Xfinity TV customers to now watch up to four live sports games at once on one screen via their set-top box.
Rogers Xfinity customers can use their voice remote to access Multiview and select up to four live sporting events from a pre-determined list on Sportsnet. Customers can also access the feature by selecting a Multiview banner or tile on their set-top box homepage or in the guide. Once customers are using Multiview, they can spotlight, select audio and switch between…
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Rogers announced Thursday that customers can now use its satellite-to-mobile feature in the United States, thanks to a partnership with T-Mobile’s T-Satellite.
The service is included in the Popular or Ultimate plans with U.S. coverage, Roam Like Home, and select Travel Passes at no extra cost, according to a press release.
“Canadians want to stay connected wherever they are, even when they’re travelling,” Mark Kennedy, Rogers’s chief technology officer, said the release. “By expanding satellite-to-mobile technology, our customers can get more coverage and roam effortlessly throughout the U.S.”
The service supports text messaging, including text-to-911 and public safety alerts, as well as…
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Telecoms welcome report, but say more coordinated action is needed
By Ahmad Hathout
The Senate committee on transport and communications has heeded the recommendations of the telecommunications industry and is urging the federal government to amend the Criminal Code to impose harsher penalties for copper theft.
The report, titled Stolen Signal: The Costly Consequences of Copper Theft in Canada and released Tuesday, is also recommending the federal government create a task force on metal theft to promote information sharing among law enforcement agencies and encourage its provincial and territorial counterparts to regulate the sale of scrap metal, including by keeping a record…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) has been approved Monday for a three-cent increase in the price broadcasters must pay to carry the service, despite the CRTC suspending that application months earlier until after it implemented changes to the regulatory system.
Broadcasters will now pay 16 cents per subscriber, per month to carry the channel, which is required of them under the Broadcasting Act’s 9.1(1)(h) rule. The new rate, which is what the not-for-profit asked for, will take effect on September 1, which is the start of the new broadcasting year.
“The Commission is of the…
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Ontario’s public broadcaster, TVO Media Education Group (TVO), announced Monday the appointment of Jeremy Dupuis as its vice president of growth, effective immediately.
In this newly created role, Dupuis “will be the executive steward of TVO’s growth and self-generated revenue strategy, with accountability for delivering measurable, sustainable growth aligned with TVO’s mandate, values and risk profile,” according to a TVO press release announcing his appointment.
TVO said the creation of this new position “reflects TVO’s focus on long-term financial sustainability in a complex media environment, while continuing to safeguard the organization’s public mandate,…
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